Patents by Inventor Derrick J. Watson

Derrick J. Watson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Process for separating components of a liquid mixture
    Patent number: 5571421
    Abstract: A process for separating components of a liquid mixture comprising a more adsorbable component (A), for example C.sub.1 to C.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1996
    Assignee: BP Chemicals Limited & British Petroleum Co. P.L.C.
    Inventors: Stephen R. Tennison, Derrick J. Watson
  • Process for the removal of corrosion metal contaminants from liquid compositions
    Patent number: 5466876
    Abstract: Corrosion metal contaminants are removed from a liquid composition comprising a carboxylic acid and/or an anhydride thereof, a rhodium carbonylation catalyst, and a carbonylation catalyst co-promoter by using a chelating resin selective for the removal of corrosion metals rather than carbonylation catalyst and co-promoter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1995
    Assignee: BP Chemicals Limited
    Inventors: Andrew R. McClarron, Stephen J. Smith, Derrick J. Watson, Bruce L. Williams, Euan S. Ross
  • Process for the production of acetic acid
    Patent number: 5416237
    Abstract: In a process for the production of acetic acid by carbonylation of methanol in the presence of a rhodium carbonylation catalyst, methyl iodide and an iodide salt stabiliser the improvement resides in maintaining a finite concentration of water of up to about 10% by weight and a methyl acetate concentration of at least 2% by weight in the liquid reaction composition and recovering the acetic acid product by passing the liquid reaction composition through a flash zone to produce a vapour fraction which is passed to a single distillation column from which an acetic acid product is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1995
    Assignee: BP Chemicals Limited
    Inventors: Simon D. Aubigne, Jeremy B. Cooper, Bruce L. Williams, Derrick J. Watson
  • Process for the production of carboxylic acid anhydrides
    Patent number: 5360929
    Abstract: A process for the production of a carboxylic acid anhydride comprises contacting a reaction composition comprising a carboxylic acid ester, a hydrocarbyl halide and/or a hydrocarbyl ether reactant and a hydrocarbyl halide promoter with carbon monoxide in the presence of a catalyst comprising an insoluble polymer support having pendant quaternised N-base or alkylated N-oxide pyridine groups supporting a rhodium species in which process the rhodium species is prevented from leaching from the polymer support by maintaining throughout the process a finite concentration of carboxylic acid anhydride in the reaction composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1994
    Assignee: BP Chemicals Limited
    Inventors: Derrick J. Watson, Bruce L. Williams, John G. Sunley, Robert J. Watt
  • Process for removing iodide compounds from carboxylic acids and carboxylic acid anhydrides
    Patent number: 5344976
    Abstract: In a process for removing iodide compounds from a liquid composition comprising carboxylic acids having 2 to 6 carbon atoms or anhydrides thereof, by passing the liquid composition through a silver, mercury, palladium and/or rhodium-exchanged strong acid cation exchange resin, prior to contacting with the metal-exchanged resin the composition is contacted with a cation exchanger in the acid form to remove at least a portion of the metal ion contaminants in the liquid composition which have been found to displace the silver, mercury, palladium and/or rhodium from the metal-exchanged resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1994
    Assignees: BP Chemicald Limited, The British Petroleum Company P.L.C.
    Inventors: Michael D. Jones, Derrick J. Watson, Bruce L. Williams